Chương 12: Chapter 10: Vile Snake
One of Danzo's subordinates handed him a scroll. As Danzo's eye opened to scan its contents, Dr. Yuki's demeanour shifted, her shoulders slumping in dejection.
Danzo opened his only eye, looked at the content of the scroll, and said, "28 kids. I hope you did not hide anything if you know what is best for you."
"As much as I would like to, I know I cannot fool you," Dr. Yuki retorted, her voice laced with bitter resignation.
Danzo replied, "You were always smart."
He opened his eye and said, "You were never a good shinobi or a spy, and you were just an average healer, but you were always good at research and medicine-making. The poisons that you created are still in use to this day."
Dr. Yuki replied with contempt in her eyes, "Our ideals were different. That was not how things were back then, under your father's leadership at Root Division. He was similar to you, but not quite as extreme. Not to this extent. He had his limits that he wouldn't cross. He wouldn't stoop so low, no matter what, until the day he crossed those limits. I don't know what changed in him."
There was anger in her voice, but there was sadness in her voice as well, a complex mixture of emotions that spoke of a shared history and deep-seated regrets.
Danzo heard her talk about his father, and he closed his eyes and thought about him for a moment. He knew what changed him and why. But there was no point in telling.
A heavy silence fell over the room, laden with unspoken memories and the weight of past decisions.
Dr. Yuki added, "I am well aware of the experiments conducted in the shadows of the root. I choose to keep my conscience clear."
Afterwards, a figure who had been silent prior to this moment began speaking, "Well, well, well. You know, as a researcher, I used to really admire you. For such things, you had a knack and insight," it said as it pulled off the cloak that concealed his face.
As the figure pulled off the cloak concealing his face, Dr. Yuki's eyes widened in shock. "Orochimaru," she breathed, the name hanging in the air like a death sentence.
The name hung in the air like a death sentence. Ryu felt his blood run cold, his mind racing with all he knew about this infamous shinobi.
Ryu practically shit a brick when his name was called. When Danzo entered the room, he was already drenched in sweat, and now this vile snake. It was too much for him to handle. Ryu just started praying that they wouldn't notice him hiding.
Orochimaru's lips curled into his signature unsettling grin. "It was a shame to lose such a valuable researcher. I was almost sad that day."
"So, you're both working together," Dr. Yuki stated, her tone flat. "No surprises there."
With a menacing smile, he said, "No one knows outside the Root. If you knew what was best for you, you would prefer it that way. I doubt sensei is aware of me, but still."
Orochimaru's words carried a thinly veiled threat, his serpentine eyes glinting with malicious amusement. The room went silent as Orochimaru finished speaking.
Dr. Yuki was already under pressure when she had to deal with Danzo. Danzo was dangerous, but so was Orochimaru.
She felt trapped between two predators, each more deadly than the last. Her eyes darted between them, calculating, searching for any way to protect the children under her care.
As Orochimaru and Dr. Yuki were talking, Danzo was going through the list provided by his subordinate. He went over each person's unique qualities listed on the list. He turned to his subordinate and said, "Is the kid hiding behind the bookshelf on the list too?".
At that moment, Ryu felt a profound sense of dread as if his soul had left his body.
A cold sweat broke out across Ryu's forehead. His mind raced, desperately searching for a way out of this situation. But he knew, deep down, that there was no escaping the notice of these shinobi.
At the moment, the subordinate looked at the bookshelf and thought, "This kid is good at hiding himself. I didn't even notice him."
Orochimaru's gaze slid to the bookshelf, a predatory glint in his eyes. "Come out, kid. Playtime's over." His voice was smooth as silk, but with an underlying edge that promised danger.
Ryu knew that he had been found, and he couldn't escape from these individuals. He slowly came out. Orochimaru looked at Ryu and smiled; the already-tense Ryu shivered in response.
As Ryu stepped into view, he felt the weight of their gazes upon him. Danzo's single eye seemed to pierce through him, while Orochimaru's gaze made him feel like a specimen under a microscope.
The subordinate of Danzo replied, "The kid is useless, Lord Danzo."
Danzo glanced over at Ryu and then said, "He doesn't seem useless to me. The chakra is already activated; it is less than average, but the quality is better than average. Apart from his eyes and hair, his presence is also appropriate for spies."
The subordinate looked at Ryu and said, "Lord Danzo, his chakra was not active when I tested him. Besides, this kid is terminally ill." He paused and continued, "This kid has pneumonia and tuberculosis; he also has peptic ulcers."
Danzo looked at Dr. Yuki and said, "Are you faking it?".
From years of experience, he could tell that she was not faking it. Without waiting for her reply, Danzo turned to face his subordinate, who answered, "I have confirmed it with Leaf Central Hospital."
Danzo looked at Dr. Yuki and said, "Sure, those are some serious illnesses, but not untreatable. Someone as capable as you surely would have treated him by now. I am disappointed."
Dr. Yuki replied, "Are you sure that I haven't tried?"
Danzos looked at his subordinate again for an explanation. His organisation was short on staff. He was not ready to lose any talent, however minor it was.
His subordinate explained, "All the diseases the boy has contracted can be treated with immunity boosters. They can afford it, despite having a limited budget. However, the boy's body is not strong enough for it. The side effects are too severe, and his body is rejecting other treatment methods as well. If his ulcers were not regularly healed, he would be on a strictly liquid diet, even though his diet is mostly simple. Even if he lived past the initial estimates, constant healing may lead to cancerous development. He might not make it past six months."
As the subordinate spoke, Ryu felt a mix of fear, hope, and desperation intertwining within him. On one hand, hearing his condition laid out so clinically was chilling. On the other hand, he felt a spark of hope. If he could find a way to strengthen his body, perhaps there was a chance...
Ryu had pretty much guessed all this by himself, now that this root ANBU has confirmed his diagnosis. He has made his work easy, he thought.
Danzo remained silent the entire time his ANBU was explaining Ryu's situation to him. If it were someone else, he would have felt some emotion like concern or pity. However, this was Danzo. On the other hand, Orochimaru was the one who responded to it.
He said, "That's an unfortunate kid. You really have very awful luck. It's as if the gods themselves want you to die."
His smile sending shivers down Ryu's spine, Orochimaru suggested, "We could thoroughly document your condition and have you contribute to research in your final days. What do you say, kid?"
Ryu felt a chill run down his spine at Orochimaru's words. The idea of being a research subject for this man was terrifying.
Dr. Yuki suddenly got angry and said, "Don't even think about it. The boy has enough trouble."
Her voice was sharp, protective. For a moment, Ryu felt a surge of gratitude towards her.
Orochimaru replied, "My my, aren't you too protective?". He looked at Ryu and mockingly said, "Hey, chin up! Maybe a miracle cure will pop up in the next few months. He he he. One can always dream, right? Good Luck.". He then turned to Dr. Yuki and said, "Don't worry; a few months go by fast. It will be over soon."
Ryu's stomach churned violently in response to the callous cruelty laced within Orochimaru's words. He clenched his fists, fighting back the urge to respond.
At this moment, Dr. Yuki's anger rose and was about to reach its limits. She looked at Danzo and said, "Go about your business and leave."
Her voice was cold, barely controlled rage simmering beneath the surface.
Danzo stood up and started to leave. Outside, near the door, he stopped for a moment and said, "Make preparations."
With the closing of the door, a heavy silence settled in the room, the weight of the encounter still palpable in the air. Ryu looked at Dr. Yuki, unsure of what to say or do.
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